Khe Rong Temple.
According to the book "Names of Villages and Communes in Thanh Hoa ", Volume 1: "Khe Rong Temple was built during the Late Le Dynasty (late 15th century), and is a place of worship for the Mother Goddess. The Mother Goddess worship at Khe Rong Temple is the Three Realms Mother Goddess."
The temple's worship system includes: Mother Goddess of Heaven, Mother Goddess of the Water, and Mother Goddess of the Mountains. In addition, it also worships a figure with the title of "Lord." Legend says that in the final years of the resistance against the Ming invaders, according to Nguyen Chich's plan, King Le Loi of Binh Dinh advanced into Nghe An to establish a base from which to march north and wipe out the Ming army. Upon entering Nghe An, the rebel army, under the direct command of King Le Loi of Binh Dinh, achieved successive great victories.
At Da Cang village (now Van Hoa commune, Nong Cong district), Le Loi personally commanded the capture of Da Cang citadel, killing over a thousand enemy soldiers and forcing them to retreat to Tay Do (Vinh Loc). During their retreat, a leader among the remaining troops organized a counterattack to encircle Le Loi's rebel army. Caught off guard, Le Loi and his army fled southwest. When King Le reached Ong Quan Lake (now in Ben Sung town, Nhu Thanh district), a fisherman disguised himself as the king to be captured by the Ming invaders. Mistaking him for the leader of the rebel army, the Ming killed him on the spot. Thanks to this act of sacrifice, King Le Loi and his army escaped the enemy's encirclement. From there, the rebels advanced into Nghe An and achieved continuous great victories. Once the country was free from enemy occupation, King Le Loi ascended the throne as Emperor, adopting the reign name Thuan Thien. Remembering the meritorious service of the man who saved him, the king ordered the construction of a temple dedicated to the Lord at the lake and named it Ong Quan Lake (located in Hai Ninh neighborhood, Ben Sung town today). Legend has it that the Khe Rong Temple was once a large-scale architectural structure. However, due to the ravages of time and wars, for a period, only remnants of the old structure remained, such as stone pillars, foundations, and altar bases.
According to Dinh Xuan Thang, Head of the Culture, Science and Information Department of Nhu Thanh District: "With its cultural and historical values, in 1995, Khe Rong Temple was recognized by the Department of Culture and Information (now the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism) as a provincial-level historical and cultural relic and scenic spot. To meet the religious needs of the people of Ben Sung town in particular and the people of the district in general, in 2008, with local budget and benefactors, Khe Rong Temple was renovated and restored according to traditional architecture with the following architectural scale: gate, temple, main temple and guesthouse. The worship system includes: inner sanctuary, central hall, and front hall."
Khe Rong Temple is a place of spiritual and cultural activity for the local people and visitors from all over. Since being recognized as a provincial-level historical and cultural relic and scenic spot, the People's Committee of Ben Sung town, the management board of Khe Rong Temple relic, and the local people have done a good job of preserving and restoring the relic, promoting the value of this provincial-level historical, cultural, and scenic site.
Every year, on the first day of the third lunar month, the people of Ben Sung town eagerly organize the Khe Rong Temple procession festival. The festival is held with traditional rituals and performances, such as sacred dances, spirit medium rituals, and folk singing. The Khe Rong Temple procession festival is an opportunity for locals and tourists to come and offer incense, admire the scenery, and pray for favorable weather, national peace and prosperity, and a bountiful harvest.
Text and photos: Khac Cong
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/linh-thieng-den-khe-rong-246789.htm
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